Engineering Solutions for the World's Cold Regions

and Beyond

Institute of Northern Engineering539 Duckering Building

306 Tanana LoopFairbanks, Alaska 99775-5910

Phone: (907) 474-5457Fax: (907) 474-7041

ine.uaf.edu

The University of Alaska Fairbanks is an AA/EO employer and educational institution.

Cover photo by Todd Paris/UAF.Back cover photo by Horacio Toniolo/WERC.

Inside panel photos by Chris Arp/WERC.

INE INSTITUTE of NORTHERN ENGINEERING

The Institute of Northern Engineering (INE) is the research arm of the College of Engineering and Mines (CEM) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and home to many of the world’s leading researchers in cold weather and cold climate science and engineering.

INE has several distinct research centers and o�ers expertise in energy production, modeling and testing of mechanical systems, environmental engineering and hydrology as well as infrastructure, mining, and petroleum development.

Note fr� the Director

INE bid farewell in early 2015 to its longtime director, Dr. Dan White. During his tenure, Dr. White was instrumen-tal in the formation of two new INE research centers, and he contributed mightily to what is becoming the world’s foremost institute of cold region engineering research. We thank him for his service, and wish him well in his new role as the University of Alaska’s Vice President for Academic A�airs and Research.

What Dr. White could not take with him, however, was the engine that powered INE’s success—the exceptional faculty, sta�, and students that make us who we are. INE research thrived in FY15, and we will continue to thrive even in the face of budget challenges to come. Whether you represent an agency or industry seeking Arctic research solutions, or are a faculty member looking for a research home, please have a look at our FY15 Annual Report. In these pages, we provide a brief glimpse of who we are, where we’ve been, and where we will be tomorrow.

William E. Schnabel, PhD, PE weschnabel@alaska.edu 907-474-7789

INE Interim Director William Schnabel

The University of Alaska Fairbanks is an AA/EO employer and educational institution.

Cover photo by Sveta Stuefer/WERC. Personnel portraits by Todd Paris/UAF.

Institute of Northern Engineering539 Duckering Building

306 Tanana LoopFairbanks, Alaska 99775-5910

Phone: (907) 474-5457Fax: (907) 474-7041

ine.uaf.edu

FY15 Annual Report

INE INSTITUTE of NORTHERN ENGINEERING

The Institute of Northern Engineering (INE) is the research arm of the College of Engineering and Mines (CEM) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and home to many of the world’s leading researchers in cold weather and cold climate science and engineering.

INE has several distinct research centers and o�ers expertise in energy production, modeling and testing of mechanical systems, environmental engineering and hydrology as well as infrastructure, mining, and petroleum development.

Note fr� the Director

INE bid farewell in early 2015 to its longtime director, Dr. Dan White. During his tenure, Dr. White was instrumen-tal in the formation of two new INE research centers, and he contributed mightily to what is becoming the world’s foremost institute of cold region engineering research. We thank him for his service, and wish him well in his new role as the University of Alaska’s Vice President for Academic A�airs and Research.

What Dr. White could not take with him, however, was the engine that powered INE’s success—the exceptional faculty, sta�, and students that make us who we are. INE research thrived in FY15, and we will continue to thrive even in the face of budget challenges to come. Whether you represent an agency or industry seeking Arctic research solutions, or are a faculty member looking for a research home, please have a look at our FY15 Annual Report. In these pages, we provide a brief glimpse of who we are, where we’ve been, and where we will be tomorrow.

William E. Schnabel, PhD, PE weschnabel@alaska.edu 907-474-7789

INE Interim Director William Schnabel

The University of Alaska Fairbanks is an AA/EO employer and educational institution.

Cover photo by Sveta Stuefer/WERC. Personnel portraits by Todd Paris/UAF.

Institute of Northern Engineering539 Duckering Building

306 Tanana LoopFairbanks, Alaska 99775-5910

Phone: (907) 474-5457Fax: (907) 474-7041

ine.uaf.edu

Alaska Center for Energy and Power

Gwen Holdmann, Directorgwen.holdmann@alaska.edu907-474-5402

Advanced Security System Education, Research and Training CenterBrian Hay, Directorbrian.hay@alaska.edu907-474-1995

Alaska University Transportation CenterBilly Connor, Directorbgconnor@alaska.edu907-474-5552

Mineral Industry Research LaboratoryRajive Ganguli, Directorrganguli@alaska.edu907-474-7212

Petroleum Development Laboratory

Shirish Patil, Directorslpatil@alaska.edu907-474-5127

Water and Environmental Research Center David Barnes, Interim Directordlbarnes@alaska.edu907-474-6126

Bill Schnabel, Interim Directorweschnabel@alaska.edu907-474-7789

Matthew Wooller, Directormjwooller@alaska.edu907-474-6738

Alaska Stable Isotope Facility

Jeremy Kasper, Directorjlkasper@alaska.edu907-474-5694

Alaska Hydrokinetic Energy Research Center

Power Systems Integration Program

INE Org Chart

Marc Mueller-Sto�els, Lead Researchermmuellersto�els@alaska.edu907-474-5117

Federal

State and Local Government

Corporations & Private

Other Universities

Other

$6,302,590

$3,115,452

$1,161,572

$554,716$615,821

ine.uaf.eduThe University of Alaska Fairbanks is an AA/EO employer

and educational institution.

Cover photo by Chris Arp/WERC. Inside panel photo by UAF.

FY15 Research Revenue Sources INE by the Numbers - FY15

47

46

5

23

109

85

99

Staff

Academic Faculty

Post Docs

Research Faculty

Graduate and Undergraduate Students

Temporary Staff and Adjunct Faculty

Peer-reviewed Publications

INE INSTITUTE of NORTHERN ENGINEERING

FY15 Financial Data

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

FY96 FY97 FY98 FY99 FY00 FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15

Millions $

State Investment

Research Expenditure

Return on Investment****** Return on investment refers to the external research expenditures leveraged from the annual state appropriation. This is one measure of the value of INE research to the State of Alaska.

$11,804,484

$940,150*

$3,135,348***

$495,086

Research Projects OperationsMatching Support Faculty Investment

* INE operation expenditures consist of administrative, information technology, and proposal o�ce support, which includes salary and benefits.

*** Total INE faculty investment expenditures consist of all the research centers (ACEP, MIRL, PDL & WERC), PI overhead accounts, equipment, travel, and student tuition awards.

1.9%$59,045 3.1%

$97,119

7%$219,888

12.1% $377,874

6.5% $204,462

Salaries & BenefitsTravelContractual ServicesSupplies/MiscellaneousCapital ExpendituresStudent Aid

69.4%$2,176,951

$100,000 -200,000

9.9%

14.2%

21.2%

54.8%

$200,000 - $400,000

> $400,000

< $100,000

Expenditure per PI # of PIs % of INE led Research

10

9

12

30

Retu

rn o

n In

vestm

ent -

Tim

eline

FY15

Res

earc

h & G

ener

al F

und

Expe

nditu

res

PI Expenditure

ACEP Alaska Center for Energy and Power

The Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP)is an applied energy research program that focuses on integrating renewable with nonrenew-able power generating sources. ACEP provides support to agencies, utilities, and the private sector to address the technical and policy challenges associated with modern innovations in the energy sector.

Alaska is home to more than 200 small communi-ty microgrids distributed across its geographically diverse regions. It is also home to more than 12% of the developed microgrids in the world. The integra-tion of intermittent renewable energy, such as wind turbines and photovoltaic, has led to the devel-opment of a niche support industry in Alaska, and also given rise to the Alaska Center for Energy and Power to help address the complexities of integrating renewable energy into a grid system.

Alaska Center for Energy and Power

acep.uaf.edu

ACEP is organized into several working groups focused on di­erent topic areas:

The Power Systems Integration Laboratory works to optimize diesel-renewable hybrid energy systems for islanded electric microgrids. Its research facility can be fully programmed to emulate a village, up to 500 kW, incorporating on-site diesel generation, programmable wind turbines, plus battery and load banks.

The Alaska Hydrokinetic Energy Research Center facilitates development of in-river hydrokinetic power systems. Its Tanana River test site supports a floating platform capable of securing a working load of 22.5 tonnes.

The mission of the Data Collection & Analysis Program is to collect, manage, disseminate, and provide analysis of high quality technical energy data in support of data-driven decisions. DC&A serves many kinds of customers, from project stakeholders in need of power system performance characteristics, to researchers in need of data for model design, data validation, and boundary conditions.

ACEP recognizes that a multifaceted approach is neces-sary for identifying energy solutions that are sustainable for small energy markets, especially where the cost advan-tages associated with large scales of economy are not an option. The Energy Analysis Group provides insight into economic alternatives and works to identify strategies for maximizing the e�cient use of government resources and private capital in the context of the social, legal, and regu-latory climate.

ASSERT Advanced System Security Education, Research, and Training

The Advanced System Security Education, Research and Training Center (ASSERT) is focused on multi-disciplinary computer security research. The center provides curriculum and program development, research opportunities, K–12 outreach, and support to local, statewide, and national organizations and agencies.

ASSERT outreach e­orts include testimony and assistance to federal agencies, attorneys and investi-gators in digital forensics cases; membership in and leadership of the Honeynet Project; presentations to local, state, and national groups such as Infragard, the Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education, and the Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC) Working Group; organization of CCDC competitions for teams around the nation; and outreach to middle and high school students.

Advanced System Security Education, Research, and Training

assert.uaf.edu

The Remotely Accessible Virtualized Environment (RAVE) Lab provides an isolated, networked computer environment suitable for information assurance and com-puter security education, research and training. Although managed from UAF, RAVE includes servers housed at Virginia Tech, Colorado State University, Mississippi State University, California State University at San Bernardino, and the University of Hawaii, and is currently used by a large number of institutions nationwide.

RAVE’s development was funded by the National Science Foundation, and the resulting infrastructure is made available to users at no cost.

AUTC Alaska University Transportation Center

The Alaska University Transportation Center (AUTC) performs applied and basic research focuses on transportation in northern climates.

Areas of expertise include:

• Pavement materials, design, construction and maintenance

• Soil and structure interaction for bridges in frozen and partially frozen soils

• Bridge design for arctic and subarctic conditions

• Geotechnical investigation and design

• Design, construction and maintenance of transporta-tion infrastructure in permafrost

• Dust management techniques for roads and airports

• Design, construction and maintenance of drainage structures

• Control of aufeis

• Highway safety in northern climates

Alaska University Transportation Center

ine.uaf.edu/autc

AUTC has completed over 140 projects over the last 10 years, ranging in cost from less than $10,000 to over $500,000, each with a typical duration between six months and 3 years.

Example projects include:

• Monitoring and Analysis of Frozen Debris Lobes

• Improving Passing Lane and E�ciency

• Estimating Future Flood Frequency and Magnitude in Basins a­ected by Glacier Wastage

• Evaluation of Crack Sealing of Asphalt Concrete Pavements in Alaska

• Frozen Soil Lateral Resistance for Seismic Design of Highway Bridge Foundations

• Impact of Groundwater Flow on Permafrost Degradation & Transportation Infrastructure Stability

• Kwigillingok Runway Stabilization

• Use of Wicking Fabrics to Prevent Frost Boils

• Geophysical Applications for Transportation Planning

• Attenuation of Herbicides in Subarctic Environments

AUTC encourages student participation in its research projects which helps reduce costs, but more impor-tantly, provides an excellent education for the students. Graduates that have worked on AUTC projects are now working for the Alaska DOT&PF, the oil and gas industry, and the private sector.

MIRL Mineral Industry Research Laboratory

The Mineral Industry Research Laboratory performs basic and applied research that supports development, production, processing, refining and transportation related to mineral and energy resources of Alaska and elsewhere.

Alaska’s mineral wealth is well known. Less known is that the mining-related expertise present in Alaska’s MIRL faculty is in short supply worldwide. Extractive metallurgy expertise has slowly eroded world-wide over the last few years. For instance, there are few mine ventilation experts, especially those with knowledge beyond basic ventilation networks.

For a government agency looking for answers to mining-related questions, or a mining company seeking insight into a problem, MIRL is here to help.

Mineral Industry Research Laboratory

ine.uaf.edu/mirl

Some recent and current projects capture the diversity of MIRL activities:

• Rare Earths: One project explored the mineral processing options for the Bokan-Dotson Ridge rare earth resources in southeast Alaska. Another examined the rare earth element content of Alaska coal and coal ash.

• Hazard mapping: MIRL faculty led hazard mapping studies along the North Slope Transportation Corridor to determine the feasibility of extending the existing railroad to the mineral rich North Slope.

• Air Inversion in Deep Open Pit Mines: Air inversion is a common cold climate problem that can impact air quality in deep open-pit mines. MIRL faculty have modeled air inversion in an Alaskan open pit mine to develop possible solutions.

• Mine Mill Grade Reconciliation: MIRL is assisting a copper mine in Mongolia in understanding their mine-mill grade reconciliation problem. Mine-mill grade reconciliation is a common problem worldwide.

• Drones for Mine Rescue: MIRL is partnering with the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aerial Systems Integration and Sumitomo Metal Mining to test the use of unmanned aerial systems for underground mine

PDL Petroleum Development Laboratory

The Petroleum Development Laboratory (PDL)assists the Alaska petroleum industry, state agencies, and federal agencies in their e­orts to develop new technologies through research and development; PDL promotes extraction of Alaska’s oil and gas re-sources under stable and healthy environmental conditions. Cutting edge research provides extensive graduate research opportunities to students from Alaska and all over the world.

PDL focuses on Alaska North Slope conven-tional and unconventional oil (heavy oil and shale oil) development as well as conventional natural gas and unconventional gas, such as methane-hydrate, resource assessment and development.

Petroleum Development Laboratory

ine.uaf.edu/pdl

Some recent and current research areas representing a broad spectrum of R&D technologies :

• Enhanced Viscous/Heavy Oil Recovery

• Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery (CEOR)

• Low Salinity Waterflooding (LoSal ®)

• Experimental Investigation of Inflow and Lift Performance During the Cold Heavy Oil Production with Sand Process

• Uncertainty Incorporation into Petroleum Production Engineering Models

• CO2 foam Injection Studies for Heavy Oil Recovery

• Nanoparticle-Based Drilling Fluids

• Methane Hydrate Production Technologies

• Shale Oil and Gas Resources Assessment and Production Technologies

• Permafrost Thaw Induced Subsidence

• Arctic Oil Well and Geothermal Well Cementing

• Gas-To-Liquid Transportation through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS)

• Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery

WERC Water and Environmental Research Center

The Water and Environmental Research Center(WERC), established in 1965, is a world leader in addressing research questions involving the Arctic’s water and environmental assets.

WERC’s researchers have a long history of field operations in Alaska’s most remote regions, which stand on the forefront of rapid global change and industrial development in the Arctic. They frequent-ly operate independently without infrastructure or technical support, collecting data in regions where basic environmental information frequently does not exist.

Water and Environmental Research Center

ine.uaf.edu/werc

WERC provides credible and timely information for stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding use of our shared environmental resources. Faculty and sta­ expertise reflect disciplines relevant life in cold regions, including arctic, civil, and environmental engineering as well as the environmental and hydrologic sciences.

WERC RESEARCH FACILITIES AND LABORATORIEScomplement and expand the scope of our field-based research. Instrumentation is available for quantitative analysis of anions, cations, volatile, semi-volatile,and nonvolatile organics, total organic and inorganic carbon, and gas sample components.

The Alaska Stable Isotope Facility specializes in measuring stable isotopes of C, N, O and H of organic and inorganic matter and water samples to track hydrologic sources, climate change, ecological food-webs and bio-geochemical cycling in Alaska and abroad.

The Human Dimensions Laboratory (HD Lab) provides technical support for a variety of mixed method qualitative and quantitative human ecology research. Researchers at the HD Lab examine issues as broad as water and food security, marine resource policy and governance, and environmental quality.